


Wait for Me

by probsnothawkeye



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I did take some canon but then i twisted it, I tried to slow burn but I'm bad at that and also at planning im sorry, M/M, Referenced violence, because apparently that all I can write with taz, fast burn, i'm genuinely so bad at tagging this is a mess, it's a hadestown au yall, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24223519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/probsnothawkeye/pseuds/probsnothawkeye
Summary: On the road to Hell there was an elevatorA wizard married to death himselfA couple looking to defy the oddsIt's an old song, a song of love from long ago. We'll tell it again, though.(It's a Taakitz Hadestown AU everyone!)
Relationships: Julia Burnsides/Magnus Burnsides, Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	Wait for Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello!  
> I've been working on this pretty much since quarantine started I think?   
> And I just now finished.   
> Apparently my brain really likes to connect Hadestown and TAZ because this is my second Hadestown themed TAZ fic. Perhaps the next will be different.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoy!

On the road to Hell there were seven birds.

A family, flying from plane to plane, searching for a way to stave off The Hunger. A way to hide the Light of Creation from its grasp. A way to survive in one place for longer than a year.

The Light found Faerun feet from where these birds landed. They were able to divide it, to stave off The Hunger.

But it came at a cost.

These seven birds made seven relics, each containing a piece of the Light. The seven relics were thrust into the world, causing chaos and heartache for these birds.

But then an idea formed once again.

They were able to help mitigate the damage caused by the relics, creating an organization called the Bureau of Balance in order to try and aid in peace deals. The relics would always be desired, always sought after, but these birds and their compatriots were able to offer aid to the planet. Faerun would not be destroyed, not because of them.

This is not where our story begins, though. You see, it’s an old song, an old tale from way back when. This one, which starts once the birds settled in Faerun, starts us again on the road to Hell.

On the road to Hell in Faerun, there was an elevator. 

Why an elevator, you ask? Don’t ask why, don’t ask how. It’s just an elevator. One that stretches up to the tops of the second moon in the sky and all the way down to the Underworld. Those who died just appeared at it’s doors, stepping in to take the long descent down.

One person, however, got to use the elevator twice a year.

You see, the birds were able to live lives outside of the Bureau, able to find happiness and help. One of the birds even found love on this new plane. The wizard Taako met Death (though he preferred the name Kravitz) by the elevator to the Underworld on one of his missions to aid a warring faction of Faerun. Death was kinder than Taako thought he’d be, and it wasn’t long before the two were falling deeply in love with each other.

Taako, with all the support from his family, married Kravitz and headed into the Underworld with him. And for a moment, things were good.

But moments do not last forever.

War had broken out shortly after Taako went with Kravitz. A missing bird turned out to be a bigger deal than anyone in the Bureau of Balance could have imagined. With only the birds immune to the thrall of their relics, it was near impossible to send anyone else down to broker peace. And with a bird missing, wars over his relics ravaged the plane. That’s when Taako and Kravitz struck a deal: for half the year, Taako could be up in the world of the living with the members of the IPRE, keeping the relics safe. The other half, Taako could be in the Underworld with his husband.

And it worked at first.

Taako requested amnesty for his sister Lup and her husband Barry, who had become liches at some point during their century of fighting off The Hunger. Kravitz agreed, as it would make things easier for the Bureau of Balance to create peace if they had the leverage of necrotic power. It also allowed for Lup and Barry to take care of Taako’s rolls while he was in the Underworld with Kravitz. The system worked, especially since the other birds and Bureau members were never far away.

But something went wrong.

“Kravitz, dear, I’ll be heading up soon,” Taako called to his husband while packing his last bag. Kravitz had hardly spoken a word to him since he started packing. 

“Do you have to go?” Kravitz asked, addressing Taako for the first time in days. 

“I’m already late, Krav,” Taako said with a sigh, closing his suitcase and turning to face his husband. “I know that my friends are powerful and all, but it’s been too long without me there to pull my weight with the relics. You know this, right?”

Kravitz said nothing, gesturing to the elevator doors. Taako sighed again, removing his hand from the suitcase. “You know, you could come up with me for a few days, like you used to. I’m sure Noelle and Maureen could hold down the fort for that long, they did it in the past.”

“There are so many new souls down here every day, I have to make sure they all fall in line. More escape attempts have been happening, too, we need to build reinforcements to the walls. I can’t step away at the present,” Kravitz said, eyes weary. “Are you sure you can’t stay any longer?”

“I’ll be back in six months, babe. I’ve been away too long already, I better head up.” 

Taako moved in to hug his husband, who deftly moved to the side and pressed the button on the elevator door. Taako shook his head, but said nothing. It was always like this as he was leaving lately. “I’ll see you when I get back, Skeletor,” Taako said, stepping into the elevator and pressing the only button in it. 

“Goodbye, Taako,” Kravitz said as the doors started to slide closed. Just before they could, Taako shot an arm out, forcing them to reopen.

"You know, Magnus is getting married not long after I get back up there."

"Is that so?" Kravitz asked, feigning disinterest. Magnus was a member of the IPRE and one of Taako's oldest friends. The fact that he was getting married was surprising to say the least.

"Yeah, her name is Julia," Taako could tell Kravitz wasn't really interested, but pushed on nonetheless. "Magnus would want you there."

"I already told you I can't, Taako, why can't you understand that?" Kravitz snapped, voice cutting Taako to the core. Kravitz noticed Taako shrinking back, arm almost out of the way of the elevator doors. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to yell. Give Magnus and his bride my best, will you?"

Taako nodded, retracting his arm and letting the doors slide closed. He stared straight ahead as the elevator started to climb back up to the moon base where his IPRE family was living.

The elevator became clear as he climbed out of the ground, allowing him to view Phandolin and other cities in Faerun as he climbed towards the moon base. The planet was beautiful, but it was unfortunately being ravaged by so many wars at the time. It only got worse when Taako was gone, not that having the full force of the Bureau was able to stop the wars entirely.

Still, seeing topside for the first time in months was a breath of fresh air for Taako, quite literally. As he crossed over from the underground to topside, the elevator seemed to pick up speed, rocking him towards his home faster.

Gliding into the moon base, Taako breathed a sigh of relief. He was home.

The doors slid open and Lup was already on the other side, dragging Taako into the tightest hug. "That was closer to seven and a half months, goofus."

"I'm sorry," Taako said, muffled by his sister's shoulder. "I couldn't get away."

Lup pulled away, using Mage Hand to hit Taako's suitcases out of the elevator, causing it to disappear. "Come on, Koko. Everyone's in the living room in our quarters. We've been waiting for you."

Taako and Lup walked hand and hand through the moon base towards the living quarters specifically for the IPRE. After so long living together on their ship as a family, it made sense that they would continue that way when everyone was up on the base. As the twins walked in, Taako saw that his whole family was there, including a Bureau member, Angus McDonald.

"Welcome back, sir!" Angus called out, causing everyone to snap their attention towards Taako. "You're late by almost a month and a half!"

Taako couldn't even get a barb in before Magnus was rushing in, wrapping Taako in a big hug. "I was worried you were going to miss the wedding."

"And miss making fun of you in front of your bride? Never," Magnus laughed, letting Taako go. Before he could walk away, Taako grabbed his arm. "I'm really sorry about being late, Maggie. Kravitz-"

"Let's not talk about hard times," Merle said, cutting off Taako. "You're back! It's time to celebrate!"

Taako smiled at the cleric. "Yeah, you're right. Let's celebrate!"

Their celebrations always lead to boisterous conversation and many drunk birds. It also led to reflection from Taako. He missed this desperately when he was in the Underworld, especially since Kravitz had been so distant for the past few years. It made Taako question if giving up his family for half the year was worth it.

“Magnus, my dude, why don’t you give a speech for us?” Lup called out, holding her liquor better than anyone else at the time. “You’ve got a way with words sometime.”

“To Taako!” Magnus bellowed, prompting a response of the same from his friends. “Who has finally returned to us! This is only the first night we will have, and we will revel in all of them. As long as we stand guard and give him a place to return, he will always come back.”

“I will,” Taako said softly.

“We shall always fill our cups and raise them to you on days like this, Taako. To the world we dream about and to the one we live in now,” Magnus knocked his glass back, downing the rest of his drink. And just like that, the party raged on.

***

Magnus and Julia's wedding was the week after Taako came back. Any further delay from Kravitz and Taako probably would have missed it.

Lup and Taako were catering, Merle helped with the flowers and was officiating. Davenport and Lucretia helped set up the venue just outside of Raven's Roost, and Barry was playing the piano to accompany Johan's violin. The entire IPRE was involved, with Bureau members filling in the remaining gaps on Magnus's side.

Taako was also responsible with being Magnus's best man.

"You're my oldest friend, Taako. I wouldn't want anyone else by my side," Magnus had said when he approached Taako on the subject.

Taako was touched, despite how much he pretended not to be. He never expected to be anyone's best man. Hell, he never expected life to go like this at all.

For the longest time it had just been Taako and Lup. Twins against the world, bouncing from city to city taking odd jobs and learning magic to survive. When they first made it into the IPRE, they never expected what would come for them. A century of traveling between the planes. Meeting new people and seeing new places. Preventing an apocalypse from befalling the planet. Falling in love. Finding a family.

Taako shook the thought from his head, drawing himself back into the moment. He was standing beside Magnus, the whole room waiting patiently for Julia to walk down the aisle.

The look in Magnus's eyes as he saw his bride was nearly indescribable. Even standing beside him, Taako could see the way Magnus's eyes lit up, the tears already starting. Magnus looked at Julia with so much love and adoration, it looked just like how Kravitz used to look at Taako.

Magnus and Julia had simple vows they made to each other during the wedding. Promises of a warm bed, food on the table, and a bright future. "Say that you'll hold me forever. Say that the wind won't change on us. Say that we'll stay with each other and it will always be like this," Julia said, her hands clasped tightly in Magnus's.

"I'm gonna hold you forever. The winds will never change on us. As long as we stay with each other, then it will always be like this." Both Magnus and Julia were crying openly at this point, bringing a tear to Taako's eye as well.  _ It's so easy for them, being in love. _

Taako was shaken from his thoughts by Merle beginning to conclude the ceremony. "Magnus, do you let Julia walk with you?"

"I do."

Before Merle could even ask Julia the same question, she cut him off, "I do."

A large smile spread over both of their faces as they said "I do," once again in tandem.

"And will you keep on walking, come what will?"

"I will," Magnus said, squeezing his bride's hands.

"I will," Julia said, squeezing back. Turning to Merle, they spoke in tandem once more, "We will."

"Then may Pan bless you both. I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now-" Merle didn't even get a chance to finish before Magnus was scooping Julia up into his arms, giving her a warm and loving kiss. 

Watching his oldest friend marry the love of his life brought back thoughts of Kravitz to Taako's mind. How different things would be if he were here with Taako and the rest of their family. There was a time when Taako knew Kravitz would do anything for him, a time where their love was as bright and beautiful as Magnus and Julia's.

But that was long ago, before we were on this road.

***

The elevator going from topside to the Underworld worked differently for Taako than it did for all other people living in this planar system. For those who died, the doors would instantly appear before them and would call the soul into the elevator. Taako, however, got a bit of warning. The doors would slowly fade in over the course of a day so that Taako could prepare his belongings and say his goodbyes.

This warning call kept getting earlier and earlier it felt like.

"That was not six months," Taako complained to Lup. "I have a calendar from the Fantasy Costco, I know that wasn't six months."

"You need to have a serious conversation with him, Koko," Lup said as she helped her brother start to pack up. "Look, I know I should be nice to him since part of your deal also allows me and Barry to stay out of death prison despite being liches. But we did help save this planar system from destruction, so is that really a 'let'?” Lup shook her head, as if trying to chase the thought away and bring her focus back to the conversation at hand. “Anyway, Taako, you need to tell him to stop bringing you back early. It's not fair to you or to us."

Taako slammed his suitcase shut. It was full of alcohol, spell components, and other things he wouldn't be able to get in the Underworld. "Every time I try, he shuts me out. I don't get it, Lulu. We used to be so… so in love. But now all he cares about is that damn wall around the prison and the new weapons being built to keep people in. It's like I don't even exist down there."

Lup picked up the suitcase and set it next to the other one on the floor. "Taako, I'd gladly face damnation if you wanted to break out of this deal. Barry would too, you know that right?"

Taako shook his head. "I still love him, Lup. It's just been difficult is all," sighing, Taako gave the room one last once over. "Come on, I'm not leaving without making one more family dinner."

The twins made their way to the kitchen together, starting work on a simple, yet exquisitely prepared dinner. Once the doors started to appear, Taako made his calls to get everyone who wasn't up on the moon base, namely Magnus and Julia, who had settled back in Raven's Roost, and Davenport, who had taken to living at sea. He always came by on Taako's last day, though.

Taako always insisted on his last day on the base being a celebration. It was easy to be sad about leaving his family, to be angry about being unable to aid in stopping the skirmishes over the relics, but that wasn't what Taako wanted to focus on. He'd rather focus on the love garnered from being around his family, holding them close in his final moments out of the Underworld.

They also all got glorious drunk.

"I… I really think tha' you… you shouldn' have ta go back so soon, Ko," Barry said, words slurring as the night wore on. The elevator was almost fully formed now, goodbye becoming inevitable. "Is not fair ta you! Or ta us!"

"He's right!" Magnus bellowed, even louder when he's drunk than he usually is. "You're supposeda have six months!"

Julia, who remained remarkably sober along with Lucretia, put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "It's not my place to intrude, but my husband does make a good point. Aren't you supposed to be here for another few weeks?"

Taako took another shot, smalling the glass back on the table bitterly. "I'm supposed to. But even I can't ignore the elevator once it appears."

As if speaking it into existence, the elevator became fully formed. Everyone watched as the doors slid open, revealing Kravitz.

"That's new," Taako thought he heard Lup mutter from behind him.

"You're early," Taako said, taking another shot. "Didn't even get to do goodbyes yet."

Kravitz nodded awkwardly, gesturing around the room. "Please, don't stop on my account. I'll just… wait in the elevator."

Taako walked solemnly back to his rooms to grab his suitcases, fighting back bitter, angry tears. Upon his return to the common area, he tried to put up an air of nonchalance. "Come on, get your hugs in now. Cha boy's gotta go."

One by one, each member of the IPRE came and gave Taako tight squeezes. Magnus, still incredibly drunk but managing to lower his voice, leaned over, "Thank you for being here for the wedding. It means the world to me."

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything, Maggie," Taako whispered, choking back tears.

After finishing his goodbyes, Taako started for the elevator only to be stopped one last time by Lup, pulling him into a second, longer embrace. "Don't let him keep you extra this time, okay? I need my worse half back."

"I'm your better half and you know it," Taako said with a tight smile. "I'll try my best, Lup."

Nodding, Lup pulled back. Taako gave one last wave before walking into the elevator with Kravitz.

As it started the descent back into the Underworld, Taako turned to Kravitz. "You're early," he repeated, not expecting a reply.

He got one anyway. "I missed you," Kravitz said softly.

Taako was torn. On one hand, this was a level of affection Kravitz hadn't shown him in so long. On the other hand, Kravitz was taking time that didn't belong to him.

"That's not…" The elevator came to a stop, doors opening to reveal the Underworld once again. "We're going to have to talk about this, Krav."

Kravitz opened his mouth to reply when a loud noise in the direction of the wall outside the eternal stockade cut him off. "I'm sorry, I have to go take care of that. I suppose just… take this time to think of what you need to say and once you've done that we can talk," Kravitz started to head in the direction of the wall before coming back to Taako briefly and giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Welcome back, Taako. I did miss you."

And with that, Kravitz raced off toward the wall, leaving Taako alone in the Underworld once again.

***

With Taako gone, the birds once again had to prepare for the coming months. Magnus turned to Julia, who was hovering around the edge of the table where the Bureau members were starting to plan. “Do you want to stay or would you rather go?”

“I think it would be best if I get going,” Julia said with a sad smile. “My husband needs to help save the world once again.”

“I’m sorry.”

Julia put a hand on Magnus’s cheek. “Don’t be. I will never hold this against you, Magnus. It’s what you have to do. I’m going to go back and man the store, you come visit me when you can, okay?”

Magnus grabbed Julia’s hand. “I’m sure the store can stand to be closed for a week or two, are you sure I can’t convince you to stay?”

Julia smiled at her husband. “I’ll be okay on my own for a little while, Mags, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’m always gonna worry about you, Jules,” Magnus said, kissing her hand. “But I trust you. I’ll walk you to the pods.”

“Magnus,” Lucretia called from behind him, pulling out a map of Faerun. “I’m sorry, but we need you rather quickly.”

Magnus looked at his friends, and then back at his wife. “I guess I can’t walk you to the pods.”

Julia smiled and gave Magnus a soft kiss. “It’s okay. I’ll see you when you get back. I love you, Magnus.”

“I love you too, Julia.”

***

Taako’s attempts to talk to Kravitz about being brought back early were always thwarted by the work of the Underground. Every day, the sounds of souls working on fortifying the walls surrounding the Eternal Stockade could be heard echoing throughout the Underworld, even within Taako’s own room.

“Kravitz-”

“Not now, Taako, I’m sorry. I have to go into the Stockade today and bring in some new souls,” Kravitz said, brushing past Taako without even looking at him. “We’ll be able to talk later okay?”

This cycle repeated for weeks, Kravitz always evading Taako as the sounds of the pickaxes ringing filled the void of the Underworld.

“I don’t get it,” Taako said to Kravitz’s assistant Noelle one day. “He never used to be like this! His head is so far up his ass that he can't see a godsdamn thing.”

“It’s not my place to talk about the boss,” Noelle said, not looking up from the report she was filing. “But I do know that Maureen is thinking of stepping down from her role as warden of the stockade, and that’s got Kravitz running around like a wild goose looking for a replacement.”

Taako sighed, trying his best to be understanding. “This has been going on longer than he’s been searching to replace Maureen, I know that much.” Seeing that Noelle wasn’t going to give him any concrete answers or even attention, Taako got up and left.

“You know, Taako,” Noelle said, finally looking up from her work. Seeing the wizard gone, Noelle sighed and whispered out, “He does all of this for you.”

*** 

Julia had been home for three weeks when she got a call from Magnus saying he was coming back. 

“We’ve got our system all set up again,” Magnus said with a grin. “Meaning I can come back home for a little while.”

“That’s wonderful, Magnus,” Julia said, smiling as she walked around the store getting ready to open for the day. “When will you be back?”

“Tomorrow morning, I just have to finish up some stuff with Cap’nport. I can’t wait to see you again, Jules.”

“I missed you too, Magnus. I’ve got to open the store, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Julia said as she flipped the sign on the door to ‘open’. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Jules.”

With that, Julia set about the shop, moving certain pieces to the window and changing some of the prices on items. It seemed like a good time for a sale, drawing more eyes to the Hammer and Tongs. Ever since her father had passed, Julia had been looking after his store. He taught her everything she knew. He hoped she’d be proud of him.

Just as the first customer of the day walked through the door, the ground began to shake. “What was that?” Julia muttered as she raced to the door. The last thing she saw was a plume of smoke beginning to cover Craftsmen Corridor, then the world shook again and Julia’s world went dark.

***

Magnus returned to Raven's Roost the next morning to see it as a pile of rubble. The town that once situated itself against the sky now lay in ruins on the ground. Racing as fast as his feet could carry him, Magnus searched the Craftsmen Corridor. The Hammer and Tongs was gone, a half broken sign the only thing that remained.

"Oh gods no."

Digging through rubble, tears blurring his vision, Magnus searched for any sign of Julia.  _ Maybe she's okay, maybe she's just stuck, maybe-  _ all thoughts stopped when he saw a limp hand with a hand carved ring on it just barely poking out from beneath a large pile of rubble.

Magnus grabbed the hand, trying to pull his wife out but he knew it was useless. She was gone. Sobbing, Magnus sat there in the rubble for what felt like days, holding Julia's hand. Eventually, he slid the ring off her finger and put it in his pocket. 

After a moment of deliberation, he pulled out his stone of farspeech and called Lup. "Hey Mango, miss us already?"

"She's gone, Lup," Magnus whispered into the stone.

"What?"

"There must've been an attack, I… I came back and everything is-" another sob wracked Magnus's body, cutting him off. "It's all my fault! I should've been here to protect her and now she's-"

A glass sphere with the Bureau of Balance logo on the side of it appeared in front of Magnus, Lup stepping out and wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Maggie, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't… I couldn't… I-"

"Let's get you back to the base, big guy," Lup said, ushering Magnus into the sphere. "We can talk about it up there."

***

Kravitz happened to be walking past the elevator doors when they opened to reveal a new arrival. It was a lady, mid thirties most likely. Her figure was large and her dark skin smooth looking. Thick, dark hair flowed behind her. She was beautiful, that much was clear. There was also something about her that looked vaguely familiar, as if he had somehow seen her in passing. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Julia," the woman,  _ Julia _ , answered. "I was just in my shop when these doors appeared, calling me in. Am I…" Julia trailed off, looking at the dark space around them. The wall around the prison clearly spotted behind Kravitz. "Oh gods, no."

"I'm terribly sorry," Kravitz said, extending his hand to her in an offer to steady her. "If you'll just come with me, there's papers to be signed-"

"I promised him," Julia whispered softly, tears starting to streak down her face. "I promised him I'd be there when he returned."

Kravitz looked around the room awkwardly, trying to decide the best course of action. Grabbing his scythe, he used some magic to transport himself and Julia into his office. "Please, have a seat. Would you like some tea?" Julia sat but said nothing, her face in her hands. "I understand this is difficult for you-"

"He's going to think it was his fault!" Julia shouted, hands falling away from her face. "I told him I could mind the shop while he went to take care of the relic for Taako-"

"Taako?" Kravitz asked, blood freezing in his veins. He had seen her before, when he went to retrieve Taako a few weeks ago. "Oh, Raven Queen above, you're not Julia Burnsides, are you?"

It was at this moment that the office doors flew open to reveal Taako. "Okay, I've given it some time but we need to talk about-" all noise in the room stopped as his eyes landed on Julia. "Kravitz you have to let me go back."

"You know I can't do that, Taako," Kravitz said, hand coming to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Once you come down in the elevator, it won't open back up to you for six months."

"Oh, so you can call me back early but I can't go back to the time I  _ rightfully should have had _ to console my  _ grieving best friend _ ?!" 

Kravitz cast his eyes back to Julia, who was looking between the pair in shock. "Taako, please, not now. I have to take care of Mrs. Burnsides, we can discuss this later."

Taako looked at his husband, rage coloring his face. "Fuck you, Kravitz."

With that, Taako moved to exit the room, not before laying a comforting hand on Julia's shoulder for a moment. The glare cast Kracitz's way as Taako left burnt straight into the Reaper's soul.

Kravitz sat back down with a sigh. "I'm terribly sorry about that, Mrs. Burnsides. Now, about that paperwork."

Kravitz had a choice to make as he was drafting the paperwork. He needed a warden, and from what he knew of Magnus's wife, she was the kind of person who could keep the eternal stockade in line. However-

"I can't sign any paperwork while I know my husband… is there nothing I can do?"

_ She wants to live too badly to be warden. She would want to escape, start an uprising. But she'd be so good at it. Perhaps… _

Kravitz looked at the paperwork in front of him. The traditional clauses of a contract to work on the wall included the possibility for memory loss over time. After all, all souls would forget as eternity stretched on. That's simply their nature. Removing the possibility, however…

A simple scratched line on the paper would seal Julia's fate, if only she would sign it.

"Again, I'm terribly sorry Mrs. Burnsides-"

"You can call me Julia, Kravitz," Julia declared boldly. "Our husbands are best friends. I've heard about you for ages now."

"Julia, then," Kravitz said, adding some softness and familiarity to his usual business smile. "I cannot reverse fate, not even for you. But I can offer you a job, not just the standard of building the wall around the Eternal Stockade."

Julia looked at Kravitz and sighed. "I don't… Thank you, Kravitz, but I'm afraid I can't accept."

There was an unspoken understanding between the two in that moment. Julia Burnsides would be trying to escape, likely locked within the Eternal Stockade herself.

"That is disappointing, to say the least. Either way, the offer will remain should you choose to accept later. I do need you to sign the contract though Julia. Standard procedure and all that."

Kravitz could feel Julia's gaze burning into him, as if she were trying to break him apart in her mind to decipher the pieces individually. Eventually, she nodded and reached for the pen, signing her name with a flourish. She didn't read it, but the recently deceased rarely do read the contract. Had Kravitz not been playing directly into that idea, he might have pitied her.

"I'll show you to the wall."

_ I, Julia Burnsides, hereby give my soul over to the care of the master of the Underworld. Should I choose to take the role, I shall be the warden of the prison. I understand that, with signing this contract,  _ _ there is the possibility _ _ I will begin to lose my memories of my past life immediately. _

_ X  _ _ Julia Waxmen-Burnsides _

***

The ride back up to the moon base was silent. Magnus had managed to calm his sobs, but tears still streaked down his face. Lup laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, unsure of what to do.

As the pair arrived and made their way back to their private area, Lup gestured for her family to join. "Alright, Magnus. We're here for you. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I… I got back to Raven's Roost and it was just… it was all destroyed. Everything. And I raced through the city and…" Magnus trailed off, reaching into his pocket and pulling out Julia's ring, holding it up to the group. "All I could find was her hand, limp and sticking out of the rubble. It was definitely her. I carved this myself, I know it was her."

Lucretia walked up to Magnus, mirroring Lup by placing a hand on his other shoulder. "It's not your fault, Magnus."

"Isn't it?" Magnus whispered out, voice cracking under the weight of his sadness. "I wasn't there to protect them. I wasn't there to protect  _ her _ . I should've been with Julia."

Silence filled the room, no one sure of what to say. Finally, Lup spoke up. "What if you could get her back?"

Magnus's head shot up. "What?"

Lup looked at Barry, who nodded. "Me and Barry have been… looking for ways into the Underworld," Lup said slowly. "Ways other than the elevator."

"Just in case we need to get Taako out," Barry explained. "Since Kravitz keeps taking him back early."

"There is a way, around to the back of the Underworld," Lup said, standing up to retrieve a map from one of the bookshelves in the common area. "You'll have to climb down the cliffs of Goldcliff, and there's a river down there that will lead you where you need to go."

"You gotta be careful, though," Barry interjected. "Restless souls wander near the edges of the Underworld. They'll try to steal your body or just kill you outright."

"Magnus," Merle said, finally speaking up. "I know you like to rush in but really think about this! It's almost certain doom for you down there. Just how far would you go for her?"

"I'd go to the end of time, to the end of this plane for her," Magnus said, standing up and grabbing the map. "I'm going to get her back."

***

Taako was seething when Kravitz came to his room the next day. “We need to talk about this. Now.”

Kravitz sighed, sitting down on the bed. “What is there to talk about?”

“Kravitz, you keep taking me back here early. Six months is all I ask for, all  _ we _ ask for, so that the planet doesn’t completely fall apart. I’m owed this, Kravitz.”

“What, it’s just that bad being with me?” Kravitz snarled. 

“That’s not what I said,” Taako said, fighting back his anger. “I love you, you know this, but my friends and I have a mission to fulfill-”

“And I have work to do,” Kravitz said, standing once more and storming out of the room. Taako sighed, gathering himself and going to take a walk as well.

He was close to the entrance to the Eternal Stockade when he saw her. “Jules, I’m so-”

“Step back,” Julia said firmly. There was a vacant look in her eyes. “State your business.”

“Julia, it’s me, Taako,” Taako said cautiously, trying to gauge his friend. 

After saying his name, her eyes cleared some. “Oh, gods, Taako! I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

There was still a tinge of glassiness in her eyes, something Taako recognized from seeing the workers so often. “Julia, how do you know me?”

“You’re Kravitz’s husband,” she replied easily, much more approachable than she was before. Still, her words shook Taako to his core. “You’re allowed to go anywhere in the Underworld, I apologize for trying to stop you.”

“I’m… You don’t know me from anywhere else?”

Julia pondered this for a moment. “Did you buy something from my shop when I was alive?”

Taako stepped back, terrified of the information he just received. Souls don’t forget this early, Taako knows this. Something was wrong. Turning, Taako took off, leaving a very confused Julia behind him.

It was as he was approaching his room again that someone reached out and grabbed him, pulling him off into a dark corridor. Taako was about to fight back when he heard a familiar voice, “Taako, it’s me!”

Now that he wasn’t being dragged, Taako was able to look up and see his best friend. "Magnus, what are you doing here?"

"I came to get her back," Magnus said firmly. "I'm not leaving without her, Taako." 

Taako held out both his hands, stopping Magnus in his path. "Magnus, I can't promise that she'll remember you. Hell, Maggie, I can't even promise that I can keep Kravitz from killing you on sight!" Taako was scared for his friend. "I don't want you to get hurt, Magnus."

Some of the fight left Magnus's eyes as he looked into Taako's. "Taako… I have to try. She's my everything, Taako. Haven't you ever been in love? Haven't you ever had someone who you would do anything for?"

_ "There are only a few days a year I can leave this place, otherwise the powers keeping it all together will fail. Are you sure you are okay staying down here all that time, Taako?" _

_ "Kravitz, I love you with all my heart. It would be my honor to stay with you." _

Taako's hands dropped to his side. Looking at his oldest friend, Taako saw the shadow of himself when he first fell in love with Kravitz. The determination, the drive, the love. "I need you to promise me you'll be careful, Magnus. I will do all that I can, but there is a good chance that Kravitz won't listen to me."

Magnus nods, pulling Taako into a quick hug. "I'll be careful. And I'll get her out of here."

***

Julia was confused after her encounter with Taako. His questioning made her feel as if she had forgotten something.

_ “I’ve got to open the store, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”  _

Who would she see? Julia wracked her brain, she was forgetting something, someone, important. Try as she might, she couldn’t remember, nor could she clear her head of the thought.  _ Who was he? _

That’s when she saw him. 

He was distinctly familiar, not like the other souls she had gotten to know in her few days of guarding. They all looked the same, but this man was different. She told him she’d see him tomorrow.

“It’s you,” Julia said softly as the man made eye contact with her.

“It’s me,” the man,  _ Magnus _ , sighed out, picking up Julia and wrapping her in the biggest hug. 

“Magnus!”

“Julia!” he all but sobbed into her shoulder. “Julia I found you.”

“Magnus, what in the name of Istus are you doing here?” Julia pulled back to look her husband in the eye. She had forgotten him, but here he was. “How did you get here? Oh gods, Magnus, are you dead?”

Magnus chuckled and shook his head. “No, not dead. I walked here. A long way, but I can get us out again.”

Julia stilled, remembering the contract she had signed. “No you can’t.”

“Yes I can,” Magnus said emphatically.    
  


“No, you don’t understand-”

“Magnus.” A very stern voice said from being the couple. Magnus turned to see Kravitz stalking towards him. “What do you think you’re doing.”

“I came to take her home,” Magnus said, straightening his back and steeling himself.

Kravitz laughed in his face. “She can’t go back with you, she’s dead. She belongs here, as my warden. I mean, she signed the paperwork herself. There’s no going back now. So you best get out of here while I still let you leave.”

Magnus opened his mouth to fight, but Julia placed a hand on his arm. “Magnus, you should go.”

“I can’t. Not without you.”

Julia smiled at her husband, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I got to say goodbye. That’s more than I could’ve ever hoped for.”

Magnus looked back at Julia, who nodded, smiling sadly. Steeling himself once more, Magnus turned back to Kravitz. “Fine, I’ll go.”

Taako was waiting back near where Magnus said he walked through. It wasn’t far from the other side of the wall, across from where the administration building was. As Magnus approached, Taako was momentarily filled with excitement, only to see that he walked alone. “Magnus…” 

“She told me to go,” Magnus said softly. 

Taako wrapped his arms around Magnus. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing that can be done.”

“No.”

“No?” Taako asked, seeing that determination rise in Magnus once again. “Magnus, what do you mean no?”

“He writes these contracts, forces people to forget and to build his walls, but what right does he have? What right does he have to take these peoples’ memories? To force them into labor? Is that what the Raven Queen would want? Is that what he would want to happen to him?” As Magnus’s voice grew louder, the steady beat of the hammers and pickaxes suddenly became more erratic before stopping completely. “My wife is dead, sure. But not because of an attack on Raven’s Roost. She’s dead because he took the last bits of her, stole them from her mind. He has taken so much, and for what? For a wall around a prison? For his empire to grow as you’re brought back down here too soon?”

All around them, souls were turning away from the wall and towards Magnus, light returning to their eyes for the first time in years. Pickaxes and hammers were thrown down, bricks tossed aside haphazardly. The crowd of souls grew and grew, finally drawing the attention of Kravitz himself.

Taako could sense the impending doom coming, and turned to Magnus. “Hide. Find any place to hide. I’ll hold him off as long as I can.”

Magnus looked at his friend, then to the crowd surrounding him, and smiled. “Thank you.” Then, as he was wont to do, Magnus rushed into the crowd.

“Where is he?” Kravitz said, finally approaching Taako. “Tell me where he is!”

"What are you afraid of?" Taako shouted at his husband. "He's just a boy in love."

"He's started an uprising!" Kravitz hollered, throwing his hands up. "Gods above, why don't you have another drink, Taako? It's what you're good at."

Taako straightened his back, looking Kravitz dead in the eye. "I've had enough. He loves her, Krav. He has the kind of love for her that you and I once had."

"What would you have me do, Taako?"

"Let them go," Taako said emphatically. "I'm not asking this because he's my friend. I'm asking because it's our fault she died."

Kravitz rolled his eyes. "Death comes for everyone, Taako. Nothing you or I do changes that." With that, Kravitz started to walk into the crowd, but Taako grabbed his arm.

"The relics made by me and my family saved the plane but caused the wars. You bringing me back too soon means I couldn't help fend off the battles. And," Taako took a deep breath. "And I know you forced her to forget."

Kravitz whipped back around to face Taako. "How did you know?" He whispered. "I was so careful-"

"She's a fighter, Kravitz," Taako said calmly as Kravitz scowled. "Just like Magnus. It's why they worked so well together, they both fought but put the other first. She never would've forgotten without a push from you. What was in that contract? How  _ desperately _ did you need a warden that you would ruin the memory of a friend?"

The scowl remained firmly on Kravitz's face. "You and your pity don't fit here. All souls forget in time. Perhaps she was less of a fighter than you thought. Perhaps she  _ wanted  _ to forget."

Taako released his husband's arm, shocked at the cruelty being displayed by his husband, allowing Kravitz to walk towards the crowd. Just as he was about to disappear into the swell of people, Taako spoke up one last time. "You should've heard him tonight, Krav. If you had heard how Magnus was speaking about Julia, about this mission he's on, you'd pity him, too."

***

Kravitz was fuming.

Souls everywhere, not doing their work, hiding a traitor in their midst. His own husband turned against him, all for taking the precautions to fortify his domain. And for the life of him he couldn’t find Magnus anywhere.

Making his way back to the entrance to the Stockade, Kravitz saw him. He was with Julia, once again trying to convince her to leave. Taako was there too, as if providing aid.

“That is enough!” Kravitz bellowed, stalking towards the group. Souls gathered around, as if trying to stop him, but Kravitz cast a shield around himself.

"You come down here, Magnus Burnsides, where you don't belong. You try to break one of my spirits, my  _ warden, _ out of the Underworld. You start an uprising among my workers. The absolute audacity you have. I should kill you where you stand," but Kravitz sees Taako out of the corner of his eye. "But you are Taako's oldest friend. So, I'll give you one chance, Magnus. Seeing as you have  _ such  _ a way with words, I'll let you speak your piece. Maybe I won't kill you, maybe I will. You get to speak first."

Magnus looked at Kravitz, then at Taako, then at Julia, and back at Kravitz once more. "I know you, Kravitz. Not because you're Taako's husband, not even because you're you. I know you because you're me, a man who is so in love with his spouse that he would do anything for them. A man who would defy the gods and change their own fate just to keep that partner safe. 

"You saw him alone against the sky and it was like he was someone you'd always known. It was like you were holding the world when you held him, because to you he was the world. He was, he  _ is _ , you're everything, Kravitz. He's so much you're everything that you're devoted to keeping him safe. From the wall to the early returns to taking Julia as a warden, everything was for him, wasn't it? You were so afraid that something would take him from you, that he wouldn't come back, that you focused on everything but him.

"What you're defending is gone, Kravitz. It can only come back if you work for it. I know how much you love him, Kravitz. You love him exactly how I love Julia. I would move the world for her, the way you've been moving the world for Taako. You can kill me, but it won't kill my love for her. She's my heart. She's my  _ world _ . Nothing can change that."

Kravitz reeled back as if he had been slapped by the weight of Magnus’s words. Turning to Taako, seeing the grimace on his face, Kravitz found himself whispering, “Is it true? Have I neglected you?”

Taako smiled sadly. “Us fighting today is the most we’ve spoken in  _ years _ , Krav. There’s always something down here that needs your attention, and you never see me.”

“I… I was so scared-”

“I love you, Kravitz. Despite it all, I do. I was never going to abandon you down here, never going to leave you behind,” Taako said, walking slowly towards his husband with his arm outstretched. “You’re it for me.”

Kravitz reached out and grabbed Taako’s hand, pulling him into a tight hug. “I thought for sure I would lose you someday.”

“Never,” Taako whispered, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. They stayed like that for what could’ve been years, just wrapped in an embrace they hadn’t felt in so long.

***

Julia looked at the sight of Kravitz and Taako in front of her, then turned to her husband. “Magnus?”

“Yes?”

“You did it!” Julia said, smile growing on her face as she gestured to the pair. 

“Now what do I do?” Magnus asked, a smile forming on his face as Julia reached a hand out to him.

“You take me home with you. You found me, you found  _ them _ , now we can go. Let’s go right now! You know how to get us back there.”

Magus picked Julia up once more and spun her around. “Do you think he’ll let us go?”

“Look at him,” Julia said, gesturing once again to Kravitz and how he was running his fingers through Taako’s hair. “He can’t say no. You changed him. You may have even changed this place.”

Together, hand in hand, Magnus and Julia approached Kravitz as he pulled away from Taako. “Can we go?”

Kravitz looked at the couple, then at Taako. “I… I don’t know.”

***

Kravitz was torn. On one hand, Magnus had quite possibly saved his marriage. He had pointed out the flaws that Kravitz was too blind to see. But on the other hand, there was still an uprising to be dealt with, one that Magnus was directly responsible for.

_ Keep them here and I’m heartless. Let them go and I’m spineless. What to do? _

“I… I’ll let you leave,” Kravitz started cautiously. The couple grinned at him, hands still clasped together. That’s when it came to him. “But, there will be a trial, a test.”

“Anything,” Magnus said confidently. “Name it.”

“Julia will have to follow behind you, Magnus. You cannot turn to look at her, cannot speak to her, nothing. If you can do this, and can make it back to the top without checking to make sure she’s coming with, then she will be free to live again. But should you fail, she will be brought back here to be my warden.”

Julia let out a small gasp at the conditions, but Magnus nodded again. “I won’t fail.”

“Good luck, Magnus Burnsides,” Kravitz said earnestly. He and Taako watched as Magnus began leading his bride out of the Underworld, back to the path he had come from. “Good luck.”

“Do you think they’ll make it?” Taako asked, placing his head on Kravitz’s shoulder. 

“I have heard from a good authority that Magnus Burnsides is a fighter,” Kravitz said, turning to face Taako entirely. “You are owed time up above. I think it would be a good surprise for them to see you up there when they return.”

Taako smiled at his husband. “Are you sure?”

Kravitz kissed his hand. “Positive. I’m sorry for taking you back so early in the first place.”

Taako and Kravitz made their way back to the elevator, Kravitz reaching over to open the doors. Just before the doors could close and send Taako back up, he stuck out a hand. “You’ll wait for me, right?”

A big smile filled out Kravitz’s face. “I will.”

The doors slid closed and Taako made his way back up, excitement coursing through his veins.

***

It was hard for Magnus not to turn around.

He had alway been one for rushing in head first, never bothering to pause and question, but this wasn’t a cave full of gerblins. This was the fate of his wife.

_ Where is she? _ A voice whispered in his head.  _ Who are you to think that Kravitz wouldn’t just deceive you to make you leave alone? _

Shaking his head, Magnus tried to dispel the thoughts. “She’s right behind me. She has been this whole time. Kravitz wouldn’t deceive me, Taako wouldn’t let him.”

The walk, which had felt so short as he trudged through to find Julia, seemed to stretch on forever. By the time they reached the base of the cliffs just outside Goldcliff, Magnus was ready to be done. 

“It’s just a climb up the cliffs, Burnsides. You can do this. Don’t look down, don’t turn around.”

Magnus moved slowly up the cliffs, making sure that the path would be good for both himself and Julia. “She’s right behind you. This isn’t a trick or a trap, she’s behind you. You can do this.”

As they reached the top, Magnus was once again flooded with the desire to turn around and make sure she was there. But he shook it off, pulling himself over the cliff and onto solid ground. He gave himself ten steps forwards and waited a few minutes to make sure she was up before turning around. She was right behind him, just like he knew she’d be. “It’s you.”

A smile broke out on Julia’s face. “It’s me. Magnus.”

“Julia!” They raced to each other, throwing their arms around each other. “We did it.”

“ _ You _ did it,” Julia said, giving him a kiss. “Let’s go see your family.”

Magnus nodded, tears streaming down his face as he called for one of the spheres to take them back to the moon base.

***

Taako exited the elevator to an empty hallway. He didn't have a bag with him, so it simply disappeared upon him stepping out. It was hard to believe he was really back, that he and Kravitz were going to be okay.

But they were.

Walking softly through the hall, Taako made his way to his sister's room and knocked lightly on the door. "Ango, I told you I'd be down there in a min-" Lup cut herself off, mouth falling open in shock as she saw her brother. "Taako?"

"You said you needed your worse half back," Taako tried to say nonchalantly but failed as the smile overtook his face. "Kravitz said I was owed time up here."

Lup threw her arms around her brother. "My gods, Taako, I can't believe it! Oh, did you see Magnus? Is he okay?"

Taako nodded. "Help me gather everyone, we've got something to plan," Taako paused for a moment before jumping into action. "And you need to tell me how you found a path to the Underworld."

Lup smiled. "Lich's secret."

"But Magnus gets to know?!"

Lup ignored him, still grinning, as the twins gathered the other members of their family, racing around the common area to set up for Magnus and Julia.

"Taako, not to be a downer but… but what if she doesn't make it back with him?" Merle asked, saying aloud what the others were thinking.

"He's a fighter, Merle. And he's fighting for the person he loves. There's no way she's not gonna make it back."

As if by magic, the alert sounded that a travel sphere was reentering the moon base. Everyone waited on baited breath as the door opened.

Magnus walked through first, pausing upon seeing his family gathered near the door. Then a grin broke out across his face as he stepped to the side to reveal Julia.

"You did it!" Lup cried out, racing forward to hug Magnus. "I can't believe it."

"She's really back," Magnus said, reaching for Julia's hand and holding it tightly. His eyes locked with Taako's. "I see you're back too, Taako."

"Krav said I deserved my time up here," Taako said with a shrug. "Thank you. For what you said down there. I think it's really gonna make a difference."

"It will," a voice from behind the group said. Everyone turned to see Kravitz striding out of the elevator, the elevator disappearing once he stepped out. "Maureen and Noelle said they'd take care of things for a few days. Something about me getting my head out of my ass?"

Taako laughed, throwing his arms around his husband. "So much for waiting for me," he whispered into Kravitz's ear.

"I would wait forever for you, Taako. But it's nice not to have to."

Taako took stock of the room. His family, his husband, Julia by Magnus's side where she belonged. All was right.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated but never required.   
> Quarantine means I actually have time to write (especially now that I'm finished with all my college work) so if you liked this and want to prompt me to write something else, let me know! I'm also on [tumblr](https://ireallyneedabetterusername.tumblr.com/) and recently did a total brand makeover on there so if you wanna check that out that also exists.  
> Thanks again!  
> Stay safe out there!


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